My right eye
by Ralneox
Summary: In a bleak world he loaths. He will risk everything to destroy those who caused him pain. For within his mind corses a world of black, white and all shades of grey. This is not a tale of a peace driven saviour. This is a tale of a revenge driven monster.
1. Prologue

Once upon a time, there lived a fox sprit with nine tails and he was so powerful that whenever he shook those tails landslides and tsunamis would result.

The suffering people gathered the great shinobi clans to fight this menace. Finally, risking his life, one ninja attempted to imprison its soul but was attacked by a mask wearing shinobi.

Having no other option, the brave shinobi imprisoned not only the demon but the mask wearing shinobi and died.

The brave shinobi was the forth hokage, the fire shadow, champion of the village hidden in the leaves.

The mask wearing shinobi was the strongest of the uchiha clan, madara uchiha, master of manipulation.

The fox spirit was the nine tailed demon fox, Kyūbi no Yōko, scourge of the land.

The one to contain them all and use their powers at will, naruto uzumaki, the one who will destroy the village hidden in the leaves if it's the last thing he'll do.


	2. Evolution

"Why . . . ?"

"Why do they treat me like this . . . ?"

"What did I do . . . ?"

These were my thoughts as I trudged through the streets of konoha with glares and whispers cutting at my soul. They knew I was aware of their deplorable behavior and yet they continued. They told their children to stay away from me for reasons I didn't know. I was four years old and already alone in the world. If it wasn't for the visits of old man 3rd I didn't know what I would have done.

I was scared to go to where I slept. I didn't call it a home because homes are supposed to be places where you felt comfortable and safe. I've never felt safe with the deafening silence that crushed me every night. You had to be careful with silence. It could eat right into the darkness of night. Eat it all. And not leave a single bone.

One time I cut myself. I was walking down the street when I tripped. I fell over and cut my leg. It hurt so much but no one came to calm me down and tell me i would be alright. Though they did stop what they were doing and watched me. They acknowledged my existence and for that I was grateful, even if was only to watch me suffer I knew that for one moment I was the center of attention and would be remembered.

I began to injure myself on purpose to get the attention I craved like a drug. Anything not to be forgotten . . . to be left alone. But when old man 3rd found out what I was doing he stopped me. Telling me not to do it any more. He was worried about me . . . he cared for me.

But if he cared for me then why did he leave? Why did he leave me alone? I ignored our previous talk and began to hurt myself in public again. It had been so long since they looked at me without indifference in their eyes. I want them to look at me. I'm sick of being ignored and cast aside.

So I did something that would gain everyone's attention. I jumped off a two story building on the main street. They were staring at me with shocked looks on their faces as though they didn't expect me to do something like this. But I did.

The last thing I remember before everything going dark was the recognition they gave me.

"Naruto's jumping off that building" they said.

They said my name. No one beside old man 3rd has done that before. No one . . . no one at all. I'm so happy that they know my name. That they know I exist.

I was in the hospital for days as they tried to heal my face. They didn't want to, I could tell but they did it any way because of old man 3rd. When I got out and walked down the street people stared at me and whispered again. But this time there was no malice. I don't know what it was but it wasn't malice . . . maybe be it was . . . concern?

I looked at a store window to see my pitiful reflection and what I saw intrigued me. My right eye was missing. The skin was pulled over and was covering its socket. It made me different in a way that they acknowledged. My existence was confirmed. At the cost of my right eye.

* * *

At the age of six I was allowed to join the leaf ninja academy. The place where ninjas learn the basics of their trade. I've wanted to be a ninja ever since I saw a ninja walk through the streets with a smile on his face. He looked happy. And every one paid attention to him. Even with my right eye missing I was being ignored again. I was being forgotten. I don't want to be forgotten. I want to exist, to be happy, to be acknowledged, to be . . . loved.

So I entered the academy. To learn and become ninja. Then I will be acknowledged again and not sink into nothingness, to cease to exist. I need to confirm my existence. With their approval I can confirm my existence. I believe that each person has two tools with which to affirm their own existence.

The first is self, but that alone doesn't establish a thing. We need a sequence of events that we have already advanced through. In other words, the self is formed by advancing along the vertical axis of time.

The second tool is others. By affirming one's existence as reflected by others.

Only then does one find their own worth.

I had a self, the missing eye I sported was proof of that. How could I loose my eye if I didn't have a self?

I had traveled across the vertical axis of time alone as I always did.

But the thing that I didn't have was others. Not all the time anyway. So does that mean I only exist when I have others?

Maybe if I become a talented ninja I'll have others. Maybe then I wont cease to exist. Maybe I will be worth something to them. Just maybe.

But worth is a difficult thing to realise. Things like worth are decreed by the subjective opinion of others. The value fluctuates with the feelings of the one doing the judging. Something precious this moment could dropped to unwanted in an instant. The reverse is also true.

So in theory I could be worth something one day. I wonder if that day will come.

Four cruel years later I was the plaything of the children I once envied and wished to play with. My existence was confirmed long ago but my worth. My worth was that of something that was repulsive to the levels that I could not understand. Why do they pick on me? Just because I have my right eye missing doesn't mean I'm worth any less than they are . . . does it?

No. No! No I refuse to give in. I'll become more than they'll ever be worth! I'll show them all what they missed out on and then they'll be sorry.

During one of my daily tauntings I voiced my opinion. Their parents were nearby, heard me and quickly took their children home leaving me to tend to my wounds.

* * *

Later that night when I was trying to block out the world that I didn't fit in, four drunken men entered my room and held me down. Apparently they had heard from their kids what I had said and had decided that I needed to be taught a lesson.

They pummeled my body with their unforgiving fists for hours until they were tired. While I was recovering from my beating they explored my dwelling, pulling everything apart or into unrecognizable shapes. They found some lighter fluid and some matches and decided to see how I would react to being set alit.

It burned. Everything burned. My clothes, my hair, my skin, my soul . . . everything went up in flames. They burnt the skin off of my body and tortured me, cutting open my empty eye socket and filling it with oil before dropping a lit match in.

It was mind numbingly painful to the degree that I wished I was unconscious. But even that kind embrace veered away from me as I experienced it all.

When they finally decided to leave they robbed me of any money I had and spat on me as they left me broken and crying in the darkness.

Why? Why did they treat me so? I've never been treated like this before. I preferred it when I was left alone but at least I know that I still exist and have some worth. Otherwise they never would have come here in the first place.

* * *

I woke up in the hospital a week later to the dismay of the thugs who had beaten me. What freaked me out was that when I rubbed my face I felt my right eye in its socket. I was told the doctors that they healed my missing eye.

I knew that was a lie, the part where they said that they healed my right eye at least. I knew something else did.

Because I've gotten the feeling ever since I was six that someone was watching me. But I could never find out who. Maybe they healed my eye?

Does that mean that someone was looking after me?

* * *

It took me a week to learn how to open my right eye again. It had been so long that I had forgotten how to do it. But when I did my vision wasn't what it was before I lost my right eye. Something's had a blue mist like stuff flowing through them. I wondered if I had the blue mist in me so I looked in the mirror. I didn't have blue mist but a dark purple that flowed sluggishly.

But my vision in my right eye wasn't the only thing that had changed. The actual look of the eye was different, it was less friendly . . . unapproachable almost.

It looked like the eye of the devil with its three black commas that slowly rotated around the soulless empty pupil in a iris that was drowned with the colour of blood.

A headache began to form as my right eye seemed to slow things down. It slowed them down to the degree that I could count the number of times a fly flapped its wings in a second and the water that normally fell from the tap as a rushing torrent froze in mid air.

The headache got worse as I watched the world through the two windows that were my eyes. One was normal speed, normal detail, no enhancements. But the other slowed things down and noticed the tiniest details of everything it saw. The two were going at the same time. It was too much for me so I closed my right eye and wrapped a rag around my head, over my right eye in the hopes that the headache would retreat and leaving me alone. It worked so I wore the rag over my right eye. No one cared. They never did.

They did this to me. They tore open my empty eye socket and burned it. They burned it until I was given a new eye. A new eye that had abilities that as far as I knew alone possessed. I'll train myself to use my right eye, the gift that they unknowingly gave me. They gave me this eye. And I plan to use it.

I'm second from the top of the class for everything. Even the stuff where I have to aim and throw kunai at targets I can do with one eye. I wonder how I will do now that I have my right eye back? Maybe I'll be at the top of the class?

Though a guy named sasuke is number one. He's ok, he leaves me alone. Sometimes he walks away from me and everyone follows him. He saves me from their harsh words and their cruel eyes. I should repay him one day. I'll find out what he wants most and give it to him as repayment. Then maybe we could be friends.

Until then I'll just have to train harder and get better. I'll also have to get used to my right eye if I ever want to use it. I better keep it a secret from everyone, even old man 3rd. They might try to take it away if they found out. I guess I better get a more suitable thing to cover it with. I mean I can't be number one if I wear a rag around my head every day.

I'm gonna become number one and show them all what I'm capable of.

I'll make them wish the never alienated me.

Make them wish they never hurt me.

Make them wish that they never gave me this right eye if its the last thing i do.


	3. Revalations

I'm twelve now and a lot has changed. The way I think, the way I feel, the way I look and much more that I don't feel at liberty to discuss right now. All of these have changed have changed for what I believe, the better. I now longer think I'm alone, I know I'm alone. I no longer feel the urge to be wanted or recognised anymore, I feel the urge to burn them all. I no longer wear tatty rags of orange and blue that the markets sold to me for an overpriced payment, I wear colours more fitting to a becoming shinobi.

I don black sandals and long pants with a shuriken holster on my right thigh. I wear a simple red shirt with one sleeve cut at the elbow and the other cut at the wrist. A black cloth covered my right eye which I had managed to keep a secret. Tis simple and pathetic choice of clothing, I know. But it's all I've got to work with until I can get my hands on the shinobi war battle armor I once saw in one of the academy' history books.

It will be along time before I attain such a thing, I know.

It's just a matter of time

* * *

My training has been going well.

I believe that I'm now I would be ranked as a particularly strong gennin when all my states are added up.

But I'm no fool though.

I realise that I'm no match for a chunnin ranked ninja or higher.

Not unless they're incredibly stupid, underestimate me and give me an opening.

Maybe then, but I don't see it happening.

* * *

The village is an up rage because according to the academy's shitty ranking system I tie with the uchiha prodigy, sasuke in every subject.

He now sees me as a rival which I honestly loath the idea of.

To have a rival would mean that there is something between us that can be compared on equal footing.

That does not sit well with me.

I refuse to acknowledge those who claim to be my rival.

No one is one same footing as me.

No one!

No one has suffered as I have!

They will never know of the pain that has coursed through my life.

Never!

Though I do pity the one known as sasuke for he has a ditsy fan club that follows him wherever he goes. How annoying that would be.

I hear them in and out of class saying sasuke is so handsome and so cool, while I'm labeled mysterious and a dangerous.

Though I couldn't blame them cause they were right, I was dangerous.

* * *

The children of the academy use to pick on me till I dislocated one of their arms.

I still remember to this day the looks on their faces.

It was priceless, probably one of my favourite memories.

They were so shocked that 'Cyclops' suddenly stood up for himself and grabbed one of them and dislocating their arm and saying 'don't fuck with me' before walking off.

Their mothers and fathers flipped when they found out but legally couldn't do anything with out acknowledging the fact that their kids had been giving me hell the past couple of years.

So they did it illegally.

* * *

They stormed my dwelling again to teach me the lesson that I was taught before but seemed to have forgotten.

They found an empty room when they got their.

But not completely empty, I made sure of that.

I'm a big fan of irony.

So I couldn't resist repaying them for their last visit when I heard them storming up the flight of stairs that led to the door of my dwelling.

I turned on the gas stove in my one room apartment and left a lighter and a pack of cigarettes on my bed. The cigarettes cost me 500 ryō, double the normal price but it was worth it.

I closed my window after I had hopped out and landed on the air conditioner attached to the wall of the apartment below.

I counted to ten before my idiot triggered trap was sprung.

It's amazing how beautiful and sudden death can be.

The screams, the begging, the confusion, the pain.

The flames brought all of these to me as a musical piece from my apartment above that was pleasant to my ears.

I guess they learnt that smoking kills, eh?

* * *

When I was brought before the council I was accused of killing konoha civilians.

I told them that I didn't know what they were talking about because I had been out that day and must have left the gas on.

I fired back my own accusation.

Why were people braking into my dwelling? If they never broke in they never would have lost their lives.

The council had no comeback for this.

If they acknowledged the fact that the men broke into my apartment first then they would have to address the way I've been treated these past twelve years.

I walked out of there with my head held high.

I won.

I killed five men and got away with it.

My first kill, oh how refreshing it as to have that thought radiate through my mind.

* * *

All of the parents told their children to stay away from me because I was a murderer.

Not that it bothered me.

It was after all, what I planned to be my last day at the academy.

The gennin graduation exams were being held today.

And I plan on passing.

* * *

"For your final exam, you must each create a doppelganger! Wait here until your name is called, then come next door."

I laughed on the inside when the scarred nose teacher said that.

I was expecting something that would challenge me, not basic knowledge that every ninja should have.

But by the looks of those who learn in the same environment as me I'd have to say they didn't.

I sat there with amusement clear on my face as I watched the idiotic masses try to study or practice the doppelganger technique.

Sasuke was cool, calm and collected though . . . I wonder if he'll pass . . . I wonder if I'll be his teammate. That would be great.

I love irony and all of the games it played.

If by some fluke that I'm actually one that pretty boy's squad then I'll use every chance I get to look weaker than him in front of others but stronger when it's just us.

Unlike him I care little for what people thought of me.

They could go and fornicate with a stick for all I cared.

But sasuke, sasuke had a different opinion.

He clings to the old values that I once clung to, trying to prove his worth and existence with others.

I need no other.

I exist and therefore I am, that is all I need to satisfy myself.

Sasuke's idea of strength is image and renown.

While I must admit that it helps but it will get you no where if you follow that path.

I can't wait for how sasuke will react when he sees me drag behind him when we are with witnesses but completely surpass him when we are alone.

It will put his little brooding mind in dilemma.

But I will repay him whether he likes it or not for what he did when I was younger.

I am a man of my word.

I will bring him what he desires.

For if I don't, then my own vow to make them all wish that they never gave me this right eye would be void.

I would exist but I would have no purpose and that is a road I refuse to once again tread.

I notice that my name is finally called out.

Congratulations to who ever gave me a last name that starts with the letter 'u'.

Oh well, guess I better go grace them with my presence.

* * *

It's after the gennin graduation exam and I passed with flying colours.

10/10.

The mark that I had grown accustomed to over the years.

I wonder if I had parents would they be proud of me?

"That was quite something in there, naruto."

A voice brought me out of my musings.

Turned out the mizuki wanted to talk.

"I guess" I said as I went to leave the man's company.

"I was pleased that you passed. Though even if you didn't there is always the make up exam."

That quirked my interest.

I believe that it is wise to, before approaching a subject to know all available information. I had studied all aspects and possible challenges the test could have given me.

I had never come across the make up exam though.

"What do you do in this 'make up' exam?" I asked mizuki as his smile turned into a grin.

* * *

I slinked through the night as crept towards my destination.

Regardless if I had already passed I can not pass up a chance to try a test that is supposed to be five time harder than the one I did in class.

"Naruto what are you doing?"

Drats! Old man 3rd caught me in the act.

"I wanted to check out your scroll library since the public one wouldn't let me in" I said in the hope that I could sink three birds with one stone.

Birdy number one was having a reason for being here.

The second birdy would eliminate the need to search for the scroll i needed by getting old man 3rd to show me where it was.

The final birdy was a scape goat, if I was caught with the scroll i could claim ignorance.

Old man 3rd always looked like someone had kicked his puppy in front of him whenever I said stuff like that.

And this time was no exception.

Manipulating old man 3rd was as easy as breathing for me.

"Ok then, I'll show you to the hokages personal scroll collection since it's you. But stay away from the scrolls I point out, ok? I don't want you to get into any trouble. You could hurt yourself. Maybe one day you will become hokage if you study enough and make the right choices" the 3rd said as he led me to a room filled with scrolls.

I paid no attention to him as he pointed out which scrolls I could and couldn't touch.

I was looking for the scroll mizuki described to me.

Once old man 3rd leaves I'll use my right eye to find it.

It shouldn't be hard since I've spent six years training myself to use my right eye.

I don't believe I've figured it all out yet, but one day I will.

It's only a matter of time.

* * *

Later that night I arrived in a clearing next to a shed that mizuki had told me to meet him and hand over the scroll.

Now normally I'm a patient person, a 'watched water never boils' sort of guy.

But this is ridiculous.

I've been waiting here for thirty minutes for that bastard to show up.

Either he's being held back or he thinks that I'm so weak that I couldn't have possibly completed this stupid task by now.

Well he's wrong. Dead wrong.

I decide that if he going to keep me waiting, that I'll take a look at this scroll he wanted me to take.

It was titled 'The secret manuscript: The scroll of forbidden jutsus".

Jackpot.

So I went inside the hut, got comfortable with my back against the door and wondered if i should scan the entire scroll with my right eye.

It would hurt a like bitch and I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to use my right eye for a week.

It would be good to have a mental blue print of a scroll with every forbidden jutsu the leaf village ever came across in my head to look at when ever I felt like it.

I discovered that little trick when I was told to read the academy's text books.

Boy were they surprised when I said that I had read the entire book and could repeat any part of it at will.

I never proved that, they just took my word for it.

Thank god to, because I don't think I could have done it.

Whenever I try to summon up the image that my right eye had recorded thanks to its photographic memory like abilities I get tired really quickly.

Like it's draining me of my stamina and chakra.

This could be trouble If wanted to recreate the scroll I've just stolen.

After all, if I can read a hundred words with my right eye then copy it down word for word and pass out a minute later, waking up the next day.

Then how long will I be out if I were to read an entire forbidden jutsu scroll?

It could be days, even weeks before I wake up.

Curse this weak pathetic body! Curse it to hell!

I need a new body, one stronger than this one. One that pleases both my mind and my senses.

But to attain a new body would take years and be extremely painful. Plus, where am I going to learn to do that?

Fuck the new body idea, I'll just improve my own. Some training here, some genetic manipulation there and wollah!

There's also the fact that if used my right eye my head would be filled with complicated jutsus that even if I could understand, I'd have to learn and master them.

I'm smart but I'm not that smart.

I'm only a twelve year old gennin, but I've got my whole life to learn and master if i decided to memorize it all.

. . . What to do . . . ?

I guess I'll read a few that catch my eye, but not too many. I want to be awake tomorrow for the squad signings.

These three look good . . . a forbidden sealing jutsu, a forbidden summoning jutsu and . . . a forbidden technique . . . yes . . . yes these will do well . . .

The right eye's sleep!

I can fell it now . . . its dragging me down . . .

The darkness is tugging at my consciousness, trying to claim me . . .

But I will not give in. I refuse to give in.

I will pull through and hold out long enough for me to read all that I need.

Read it all.

And not miss a single thing.

* * *

When I woke up I was in the sterile hell known as the konoha hospital.

Apparently my course of action in the woods with that scroll was the cause of my visit here.

I was right, not that that surprises me when I found out that the whole scroll indecent had happened a couple of days ago.

That means its squad assignment day back at the academy. Excellent, no waiting.

Once I was out, I headed to the academy to find out who the unlucky sobs were who would be on the receiving end of my mind games when I found an assembly in the academy quadrangle.

I was surprised that that many people turned up for something as trivial as a gennin squad assigning.

I made my way to the front, taking note that everyone was looking depressed and some where even crying.

Ok, so maybe the little pinky and blondy didn't get in the same squad of the ever so popular sasuke but that was no freaking reason for the whole village to get together and mope.

What a bunch of pussies.

I was going to tell them all to fuck off and that they'd put me through worse but I didn't when I saw what they were crying about.

At the front of the academy, lay in a wooden coffin, the scar nose teacher dressed in white.

This wasn't a squad signing.

This was a funeral.

I slowly approached the coffin to get a better look at the scar nosed teachers body.

It was dead white, so different from the usual tan.

I looked for a name or a cause of death because he was one of the few I would have sparred to be my servant.

I found what I was looking for on a plaque that read:

Name: Iruka Umino

Age: 23

Occupation: Ninja Academy Teacher/Shinobi

Rank: Chunnin

D.O.B: 26/5/1977

D.O.D: 16/1/2000

Here lies the body of Iruka Umino, beloved teacher and friend to all. Iruka was a kind soul who grew up as a class clown before maturing and becoming a fine shinobi. He was a respected and well liked throughout the village. He died a noble death, protecting a scroll of forbidden knowledge from the traitor mizuki. We will mourn the death of this young shinobi and wish that his soul will rest in peace.

Signed: The 3rd hokage

"No way" was all I could whisper, to shocked and full of emotions that I didn't want.

I felt a heavy presence weighing down on my mind, I didn't know why but it was there.

I needed to be alone with my thoughts so I paid my respects to the deceased before leaving the site as quickly as I could.

There would be no squad assigning today.

And even if there was, I wouldn't attend.

There were more pressing matters that required my attention.

The heavy presence that bore down all its weight on my mind was not the death of that teacher.

No, it was something more . . . forbidden.

The jutsus and their descriptions that I had read held too much information for me at this age to handle without a headache.

I hate headaches.

They were worse than the villager's, headaches always seem to find me regardless of my location.

* * *

When I arrived at my dwelling I got to work.

My head was pounding and needed relief.

It would get worse if I try to remember anything I've read but if I write one of the jutsus down and get it out of my head, the headache should fuck off for a while before coming back weaker.

At least I hope so, god only knows what I'll do in a bad mood.

Lets see which one to remember and rewrite . . . I think-ouch! Ok, ok! I don't think, I don't think! . . . Fucking headaches! . . . The summoning one will do . . . for now.

I walked into the second apartment I owned that was down the hall from my current one.

I only went there sparingly, there was no need for excessive visits.

If I did that then the village would know that that was where I kept all of my research on my right eye.

I walked through the door and wrinkled my nose at the stench.

It smelled like a cat died in here, which it did.

Who needs fancy and time consuming traps, locks and genjutsus when a simple bad smell will keep unwanted visitors away?

Not that I didn't have any locks, traps or genjutsus placed.

I just put them there to practice my skills of the shinobi arts. Plus it's thanks to them that the now dead cat was rotting in here.

I strolled past the cadaver of the feline to a nearby door that led to the bathroom.

Once I was in the bathroom I looked around at my handy work that I had done at the age of eight.

I had modified the bath and toilet to hold . . . various poisons and fluids that I was concocting here.

I had removed the sink and the wall it was attached to in order to increase the size of my work space, using the crisscross pattern of the support planks and beams in the wall as a place for my research and experiments to sit on.

I looked up at the roof and grinned.

It was covered in all of my notes and ideas for tortures, jutsus and plans that I had wrote down to build off later.

I took a deep breath.

Ah, smells like revenge.

I wasn't much but it was all that I currently needed to satisfy my thirst for knowledge.

Plus I'm yet to push my plans in motion.

I've put out a few tid bits of information into the konoha population that I hope will spark certain events that would be profitable for me.

I expect only two of the seven to succeed but I'll take any freebees that lady luck gives me.

I pull out a blank scroll and a writing utensil from the opened wall and began the headache causing process that will make me all the more of a threat to those I despise.

The forbidden summoning jutsu better be useful or I'm gonna go postal on this village.

* * *

I woke up the next day to find myself on the floor of my little laboratory with yet another fucking headache blooming in my mind.

I sat up and waited for it to go away.

It did not, so I told it my personal thoughts and feelings that I had for it with the most colourful language I knew.

After letting the world hear the vocabulary of naughty words that I had built up over the past few years I looked at the clock and realised that the squad assignings would have started at least three hours ago, great.

"God damn mother fucking son of a bitch!" I swore as I bolted through the apartment complex out onto the street.

I ran to the academy in the hopes that my squad would still be there.

And sure enough they were.

I looked to the sky were surely the gods must be smirking at their handy work.

Yes, I'll admit that I had wanted the grumble puss of an uchiha to be my teammate.

But the pink banshee?

I applaud irony, I applaud you and look forward to your next show.

But just because I admire the work doesn't mean I fucking like it!

This sucks, talk about a double edged sword.

Ah, but as sweet irony flowed through my thoughts I realised that I would be able to play two different mind games with them.

One I'll do the whole power play mind game with, weak one moment and strong the next.

The other I'll fuck around with by pretending to be her infatuation and coming onto her before dumping her.

Both of their little heads wont be able to handle it without blowing a fuse in public, I'll make sure of that. Headache be damned! I'm gonna play with my new toys today.

The pink banshee noticed me and filled me in on the situation.

"So naruto, you're finally here? About time! Our sensei could be here at any minute."

So our sensei is late, huh? I guess I'll reward his tardiness with a test to see if he is worthy of being my sensei.

I placed an eraser with a special explosive note on it in the doorway arch between the door and its frame.

The shinobi should be able to spot and dodge the eraser.

But I don't think he'll expect my own brand of explosive note to make its debut.

I walked up to the blue boy to do our usual game.

"Yo Susanne, what's up?"

He scowled at me.

That's what I do you see.

I never address him by his actual name when I'm talking to him in person, I always call him girl names.

Today's girl name was Susanne.

"Shut up dunce."

Wow, I congratulate him on the amount of imagination he put into that one.

It must have taken all of the emo molecules he stored last night to come up with that master piece.

"If I'm a dunce and I tied with you on the academy rankings, then what does that make you Susanne?"

He growled at me.

Yikes, someone slept on the wrong side of the angst pillow.

"Sasuke just ignore naruto. He's just jealous."

Pink banshee just set me up with a nice insult I've wanted to use for a while.

"Yeah, she's right. I am jealous. I mean, how do you get your hair to resemble a duck? You truly are a prodigy Susanne."

He growled at me again, maybe he's de-evolving?

I saw a hand creep its way through the opening that I had left at the door.

This is gonna be good. First he'll probably do some fancy jutsu to dodge the eraser then-

"Umpf! . . . Why was there an eraser up there? . . . Did you guy's put it up there?"

I was not expecting that.

I was expecting a superior shinobi with the battle experience of a true born killer. Someone who would hear a snap of a twig and prepare themselves for an attack. Someone who didn't look like they just got out of bed.

I guess I don't always get what I expect.

"I'm sorry, sensei. I didn't know that naruto did that. Please don't hate us."

What a suck up the pink banshee is.

The goof with the eraser on his head simply stared at her before saying with a kind voice.

"Don't worry, I've only just met you. I don't hate you"

And after the goof said that my special homemade explosive note decided to go off, right on top of his head.

Heh, I bet he hates us now.

* * *

Squad seven as I was later told it was called was now up on the roof of the academy.

My so called sensei doesn't seem to like me but that's nothing new.

He leaned on the safety rail of the building as he set things straight.

"Now with the exploding erasers aside I'd like for us to move on" he said with his once silver hair sporting a new hair colour on display, it being pink.

I thought it would be a good idea to fill the explosive note with pink dye because that way if it does meet its mark, not only will it harm the victim but make them easier to find.

I mean, how hard can it be to find someone fluro pink?

"Now I'd like you all to tell us a little about yourselves."

"Like what" the girl asked her fellow pinky.

" . . . you know, the usual . . . your favourite thing . . . what you hate most . . . dreams, ambitions, hobbies, things like that."

"C'mon pinky!" I taunted earning me a glare from the two pink haired sods.

"Give us an example. You go first, show us how it's done."

The pink banshee looked at the older goof which I've decided to nickname . . . bubbles.

"Naruto may be a jerk but he's right . . . after all, you're a complete stranger to us . . . a mystery" the girl said to the recently nicknamed bubbles.

"Oh . . . me? My name is kakashi hatake. I'm the kind of person who doesn't feel like talking about his likes and dislikes. My dreams for the future are none of your business . . . but anyway, I have lots of hobbies . . . "

Wow. Not only does sasuke have an active imagination but so does this guy.

I'm sure that susanne and bubbles will get along fine.

Pinky was leaning towards me whispering something but I wasn't paying attention.

I wonder If it didn't include the word 'sasuke'?

I looked at bubbles who was motioning towards me.

"Now, it's your turn."

"Whatever you say general bubbles" I taunted with a mock salute, earning me another glare from bubbles. Man its fun to play with people's feelings.

I smirked as a quickly formulated a plan to get back at bubbles for the lack of information he gave us on himself.

Two can play at that game.

"My name is a noun, I find my likes enjoyable and my dislikes annoying. My dreams these days seem to take an erotic theme which I assume is because of puberty. And my hobbies are a group of activities that I do in my spare time."

I smirked as my audience glared at me for being a smartass. Which I like to be as often as possible.

Bubbles didn't seem to like my speech, but he didn't bother to ask me to do it again.

"Next."

"My name is sasuke uchiha. There are plenty of things I hate, but I don't see that it matters, considering there is almost nothing I do like. It seems pointless to talk about 'dreams' . . . its just a word . . . "

I **_really_** wasn't surprised to hear that. Captain broody pants doesn't like stuff, go figure.

" . . . But what I do have is determination. I plan on restoring my clan. And there's someone I have sworn to-"

"Brood on?" I suggested knowing that I would ruin the dramatic mood he had been building.

He glared at me. "No . . . to kill . . . "

Now that caught my attention. He wants to kill someone, eh? I can help him with that.

I'll find this person he wants to kill and bring him to sasuke.

I have a debt to repay after all.

Bubbles seemed to be in deep thought about something.

Maybe he's trying to fihure out how to get the pink from his hair?

"And finally . . .the young lady . . . " Oh god, kill me now. I now exactly what she's gonna say.

"I am sakura haruno. My favourite thing is . . . well it's not a thing, it's a person. A boy . . . and that boy is . . . uh . . . lets move on to my dream" the pink banshee said before looking at sasuke and squealing like a pig. Heh, she's certainly pink like one.

"I hate . . . naruto . . . !"

Wow, this day is just full of surprises.

Who would have guessed that she hates me?

Maybe it has something do with the fact I replaced her dieting pills with turbo lax. Good old turbo lax.

Bubbles didn't seem impressed with pinky's speech.

"Enough. I believe we all understand one another. Formal training begins tomorrow."

Now he's talking my language. Training. Let the games begin.

"You bubbles!" I shouted. "What will our training exercise be?"

"Look kid, I don't know how you connected me with bubbles but my name is kakashi hatake! Treat others how they treat you."

I glared at him. Bubbles realised his mistake.

I _**was**_ treating others how they treated me.

Bubbles must have decided to change the subject.

"Our first project involves only the members of this cell. We will be doing survival exercises."

"Man talk about a let down. I had had plenty of those at the academy."

The pink banshee seemed to agree with me.

"I agree with naruto. Our school days were full of survival training."

Bubbles wouldn't budge though.

"But you'll have to survive . . . against me. It won't be your typical practice."

This perked my interest. Not the typical practice, huh? Excellent, finally some real training!

There's only so much I can do in a modified bathroom.

"Well then, what kind of practice will it be?" I ask with anticipation.

Bubbles just sat there and giggled.

The small amount of respect I held for the man just fell.

Bubbles giggling did intrigue the girl though.

"What are you laughing about, master kakashi?"

Master kakashi?

What, she wanna be his bitch or something?

Bubbles just waved his hand s in front of him as though that would get rid of the girls curiosity.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that . . . if I told you, you'd chicken out."

How dare he insult me!

I would run from nothing!

Nothing!

I will push forward!

Through all who stand in the way of my revenge!

Whether it be an ally or an enemy, all shall fall before me!

I growled at kakashi, all of my previous good humor and taunting forgotten.

"WHAT!?" I snapped.

Kakashi stared at me with a look of surprise on his fucking face.

"Of the twenty-seven members of your graduating class, nine will actually be accepted as junior level shinobi. The other eighteen must go back for more training. The test we are about to perform has a 66% rate of failure."

I must be PMS-ing or something.

I don't think I've ever had this many mood swings before.

I was practically bouncing in my seat. Another test after the graduation test? Genius! It will weed out the weak and insignificant. I will get another chance to test myself! And against a jonnin no less!

Good move bubbles, you put me in a good mood! You just saved yourself a lot of pain.

I looked at my teammates to see if they were as excited as I was.

The girl looked like she was depressed and sasuke was just sitting there, staring at bubbles.

Bubbles began to laugh.

"Ha ha ha! See? You're chickening out already! Any way, we'll meet tomorrow morning on the practice field so that I can evaluate each of your skill and weaknesses. Bring all of your ninja tools and weapons. And don't have breakfast beforehand . . . unless you enjoy throwing up. The details of your assignment is in this handout. Memorize it . . . and don't be late!"

The pink banshee decided to remind me why I nicknamed her pink banshee.

"THROW UP! HOW HARD IS THIS EXERCISE GOING TO BE?!"

Damn, all she have to do is pretend to weave hand signs and she's got herself a sonic attack.

* * *

Later that night I returned to my little research center to read and hopefully learn the forbidden summoning jutsu.

After I had read the scroll I began to think that irony was paying to much attention to me.

"I DON'T FUCKING HAVE ENOUGH CHAKRA FOR THIS SHITTY SUMMONING JUTSU OF GOD KNOWS WHAT IN A COMBAT SITUATION!" I screamed in frustration.

Fuck, what a waste.

The amount of chakra needed for this wouldn't be possible for me until I'm a chunnin.

If I used it now I'd knock myself out, which on the battlefield was a no no.

"Oh well, I rather have a jutsu I wont need rather than needing a jutsu but not having it."

And so, I spent the rest of the night practicing the necessary hand signs and memorizing all aspects of the jutsu without my right eye.

I don't want any more fucking headaches.

* * *

The next day I was considering going postal, I really was.

Our sensei . . . whatever his name is, is late by at least 2 hours and that was a good enough excuse for me.

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look ay it, the elder goof arrived at the clearing with a smile behind his mask . . . his mask . . . a mask . . . I should get one of those.

"Good morning class!" he chirpily said as he set a clock on a tree stump as set its alarm.

"I've set this alarm to go off at noon. I have here two small bells . . . Your challenge is to steal them from me before the timer sounds" he said as he held out two small golden bells.

"Anyone who fails . . . doesn't get any lunch. Instead, you will be tied to that tree stump, so I can eat your lunch in front of you."

I smiled at the prospect of a challenge.

I had eaten breakfast anyway because I'd thrown up plenty of times from eating the spoiled food at my apartment when I was younger, so the threat of no lunch didn't faze me.

I heard sasuke and the pink one's stomach grumble at the same time as though it was choreographed.

I grinned at sasuke.

"What's the matter gretel? Is your tum tum felling hungy? Hm? Gretel hab a hungy tum tum? Hm?" I teased like a mother talking to it's baby.

I heard him mutter something about dobes or dunces.

He shouldn't talk that way about himself its bad for self esteem.

Our sensei drew in my attention as he continued.

"All you need is just one bell . . . apiece. But since there aren't enough to go around, one of you is definitely headed for the stump . . . and whoever that is will be the first of you to fail. One of you is on your way back to school . . . and disgrace. You may, if you choose, use shuriken. Attack as though you mean to kill or you'll never stand a chance."

The pink banshee didn't like that idea and protested.

"But . . . but that's so dangerous!"

I laughed and watched with glee as the pink bitch and sasuke shivered when they heard me.

"You couldn't even dodge an eraser! I put a freakin explosive tag on it as a prank. How much damage do ya think I'm gonna do when I'm told to come at you like I mean to kill you?"

Sasuke and the girl looked at me with wide eyes at what I had said.

They must have realised that I would kill someone without remorse and laugh about it latter. About time.

"Naruto, while I must say that your not like other gennin you do have a point. You have no regard for others safety, not that I blame you. Sasuke, sakura, I want you to follow naruto's example and try to kill me. One day you must kill so get use to aiming to kill or you won't make it in this world. But that doesn't mean you should become blood thirsty killers who-"

"Less chat, more splat!" I shouted as I threw a kunai with another one of my homemade explosive tags on the handle.

"GO!" he shouted as he dodged the kunai and tool cover in the surrounding foliage, my tag causing less bang and more smoke than the basic explosive tag. The smoke wafted through the clearing for several minutes before revealing that it was empty. We had all taken positions in the training grounds and where waiting for an opening.

The jonnin decided that he had had enough waiting for somebody to make a move after 10 minutes. He went to a clearing with a river running through the middle of it and stepped out into the opening.

"The basis of all shinobi arts is to become invisible . . . eradicate yourself . . . " he said as he slowly walked around and watched the tree line, looking for us I presume.

I lept from my hiding place into the clearing. I saw no reason to hide my presence from the light tint of pink haired man.

"Ok scarecrow!" I shouted. "It's time for the match to begin!"

He stared at me as though I was an idiot, he should take a look in the mirror.

" . . . you may be thinking of the wrong kind of match . . . " he said.

"Really? Cause, the way I heard it. I've gotta get one of those bells, right? If I wait around for you to give me an opening, the timer might run out before I get one. So I'll come right at you! And if any of my teammates sees an opening and gets a bell, then I'll simply take the bell off them instead of you" I shouted as I ran towards him, eager to test myself.

The silver haired man looked at me with a sad look in his eye before looking up at the sky.

"Let me teach you . . . the first shinobi battle skill! Taijutsu: the art of the trained body!" he said as he reached out for what I presumed to be his weapons pouch.

I continued my sprint but altered my course so that I would run behind a tree before coming back at him.

As I gained ground I notice that he had his hand out of his weapons pouch, but all he was holding was that stupid book called 'A Tale Of Nihilism'.

I've read it and it honestly could use some work.

I halted in my tracks and scanned my surroundings to see if he had laid any traps while I was behind the tree.

He looked at me quizzically.

"What? Is something wrong? Didn't you say 'less chat, more splat'?"

I stared at him.

" . . . Ok, where's the weapon you were reaching for?"

"What weapon?"

"The weapon that was in that pouch on your hip! You said you'd teach me taijutsu, taijutsu being hand to hand combat! So you must have pulled out a close combat weapon! Where is it? All I see is that book."

"Of course, it's a book. I've been dying to find out how the story ends. Carry on . . . It shouldn't make a difference in the outcome, considering who I'm up against."

HOW DARE HE?

AND AGAIN AT THAT!

I AM NOT TO BE TAKEN LIKELY!

I AM TO BE FEARED, TO BE AVOIDED, TO BE WORSHIPPED!

I'LL SHOW HIM WHO HE IS UP AGAINST!

I ran at the arrogant bastard and jumped in the air, turning my back on him as I went in to punch him in the chest with my right hand. He blocked my punch with the palm of his right hand without moving or looking at me. I used the momentum I still had with his fist as a point of leverage and went to kick him in the head. He let go of my fist and ducked under my kick without looking up from that stupid book! I landed and rushed at him, intending on pummeling his face with my fist but he disappeared behind me.

He held his hands in the tiger hand sign as he said lazily. "Moving that slowly and showing your back so many times is very poor ninjutsu . . . narutard!"

He thrusted his fingers toward my . . . I'd rather not say as he shouted. "Konohagakure village's most sacred technique! One thousand years of death!"

The jonnin smiled when he saw the look on my face.

But I smiled even more when I melted into tree sap and glued him to the spot.

"Wh-what? What kind of clone is this? Tree sap?"

"Correct my child molestering sensei!" I said as the original me stepped out from behind the tree I passed earlier.

"That is indeed a tree sap clone. As you pointed out before it is slower than the original me due to its physical make up, but I believe that it more than makes up for that with the lovely effect of spraying sticky tree sap everywhere once it has been disposed of. Which right now, I must admit is quite useful."

I approached the trapped shinobi like a predator upon its prey.

"Now that you've underestimated me, I think I'll take those bells" I said as I reached out for my prize.

The jonnin grabbed my wrist and threw me into the nearby lake.

"Its you who has underestimated me, naruto. I'm a jonnin, did you really think tree sap would stop me? I'll say that I was surprised by your clever move but I'm afraid the tree sap is more stretchy than sticky" he said as he pulled himself out of the amber mess.

I landed in the water and I was pissed.

"Damn! How could I be so stupid! That was the first time I had used the tree sap clone on something that had an IQ higher than 20! Why did I not foresee this! No . . . no, I need to calm down. I anger too easily. It's like something inside me that refuses to let its pride be insulted. I need a plan . . . a plan . . . a . . . yes. Yes that will do nicely. That will do very nicely indeed."

I created five water clones using the jutsu I had created a year before. It takes 1.5 times more chakra per clone but it makes them from any material I choose that is nearby.

And with my abnormally large reserves the extra chakra required is not a problem. I set my plan into motion.

All five of my water clones lept out of the water and landed in front of the surprised jonnin as the original me took my time getting out of the water.

"I am kakashi, a jonnin. A frontal assault will get you no wher-" the silver haired jonnin froze when he felt someone wrap there arms around his waist.

"Wh-what? How did you?" he shouted as he looked behind him and saw a naruto.

The naruto smirked and taunted.

"Remember when I was talking about my tree sap clones? When they are disposed of they _**spray**_ not melt, spray tree sap everywhere. I melted when you molested me and waited for when you had your back turned. Then when you where distracted by my other clones I reformed and trapped you here which distracted you long enough for my clones to reach you."

"What!" the trapped shinobi shouted as he span around to face my water clones that had reached him by the time he turned around.

The closest water clone went for the bells. Kakashi went to punch him away but just before his fist reached my attacking water clone, my tree sap clone tightened his grip and leaned back as he kicked kakashi behind the knee. Making them both fall over backwards. The water clone grabbed the fist that was meant to hit him and landed behind them, pinning kakashi's arm above him. The remaining four water clones worked together to grab the rest of kakashi's limbs.

The last water clone grabbed the bells and headed over to me.

I smirked as I took the bells from the water clone and patted him on the back.

"Good work handsome. I could use a guy like you" I said as the water clone smirked and took a bow.

"Whatever pleases you master."

I walked over to kakashi and looked down on him.

"You underestimated me kakashi . . . if this were a life an death situation you would be in deep shit right now."

Kakashi struggled a bit before looking up at me with that stupid behind the mask smile.

"Nope" he said happily.

I glared at him. I had won. I obtained the stupid bells that he told us to get and yet he had refuses to admit I won. The whole point was to get the bells . . . wasn't it? . . . The point was to get the bells before my teammates . . . my teammates . . . shit.

I glared at the smiling jonnin.

"Teamwork" I growled, not happy that I had failed to see underneath this little tests challenge.

I was narrowed minded and believed everything I was told. If this were a life and death situation it would be my life, not kakashi's that would have been on the line.

Sasuke and the girl came out of the trees, both looking either pissed or depressed that they had failed what they believed to be the requirements to pass this test.

"They haven't worked it out yet . . . " I stated to kakashi.

"Yeah, you're right. To pass this test you need to prove that you can work together. You've already figured that out but they haven't . . . yet. To pass this not only must you realise that teamwork is the key but all three of you aslo need to not fail, surrender or give up in order to pass."

"So in other words . . . you want them to pass as well by realizing the whole 'teamwork' concept, right?"

The masked jonnin looked at me with an eye smile this time, how did he do that?

"Correct."

" . . . You're gonna tie me to the post aren't you?"

"Correct."

"Shit . . . "

* * *

I was now tied to the tree stump in between sasuke and the pink haired girl. Kakashi and I had an agreement. If I could get these two bone heads to share their food with me against kakashi's orders then we all pass. If not, well . . . I think I'll go rogue or something.

Kakashi stood over us with his arms crossed while sasuke and the girls stomach growled, mine didn't. It was used to going long periods of time without food.

"Oh, my. Listen to all the little stomachs growl! By the way, you three . . . I have an announcement . . . about this exercise."

Here it comes, the whole dramatic make them sweat while I try my hand at acting scene he planned.

"None of you . . . Need worry about being sent back to the ninja academy."

I saw the relief wash over their faces. I can't wait to see the look they put on when they find out what kakashi has to say.

" . . . You are . . . hopeless. More schooling would be pointless. None of you will ever be shinobi!"

And the shit hits the fan, ha!

Outsmarting kakashi in a fight, good.

Discovering the quirks I need to work out of my personality and techniques, excellent.

The look on their faces when they were told they would never be shinobi, priceless.


	4. Destination

Kakashi glared at us with what he must have believed to be a dark look. He must have been out of practice because I've seen the sun give me a darker look.

"Give it up. Not one of the three of you . . . will ever be a ninja."

I got bored quickly, since there isn't much you can do while tied to a log. So I decided to do what every other twelve year old would have done when bored. I screamed at the top of my lungs the first random thing that popped into my head.

"What do you mean give up? Give me a brake! Okay, so maybe gretel and pinky didn't do anything besides hide like a perverts in a bush. But why the heck should we quit over that?"

"Because not one of you . . . has what it takes!"

Sasuke wasn't to pleased with that. Probably because that it meant that he couldn't kill the guy he was after. He bolted from his spot of depression and other _**emo**_tions on the ground and attempted to rush kakashi.

"Sasuke!"

Dear god woman! Just because your infatuation goes for a run, doesn't mean you get the right to burst my eardrums with your handsignless super-sonic jutsu.

**THUMP**

Damn, I was to busy mentally berating pinky for her screeching and I missed out on seeing sasuke get his ass kicked. Well at least I get to see the after math, kakashi sitting on sasuke. Kinda reminds me of a mother duck and her ugly duckling. Sasuke's hair also reminds me of a duck.

Kakashi stared down at the now sat on sasuke.

"What you are is a trio of spoiled brats . . . "

The girl was freaking out.

"Don't sit on sasuke! Get off of him!"

Kakashi glared at the pink one.

"Are you trying to make fun of the shinobi with your behaviour? Well, are you? Did you even stop to wonder for one minute . . . why you were divided into teams?"

That one stumped the brain trust.

"Uhh . . . excuse me?"

"Obviously not. So you missed the entire point of the exercise."

Finally! About time kakashi started following the script we came up with.

"It had a point . . . ?" I said with a dramatic pause that seemed to be overused in all of kakashi's conversations.

Hopefully my words would stimulate the only two gennin who hadn't figured it out yet.

"Of course. And that point determines whether or not you would succeed."

The girl was further confused by this.

"But . . . you haven't explained what it is!"

" . . . I don't believe this."

I was getting impatient, I had better things to do than being tied up.

"Aw, come on already! Tell us!"

"It's . . . " Kakashi started with yet another dramatic pause. " . . . teamwork. If the three of you had come at me . . . together . . . you might have been able to take the bells."

The girl saw what she believed to be a flaw in what he was saying.

"If we were expected to function as a team, why did you have only two bells? Even if we'd worked together, one of us still would have had to go without lunch. You're preaching teamwork, but you played us against each other!"

Kakashi stared at pinky with a look of disbelief on what little of his face we could see.

"Of course. This task was designed to cause dissension in your ranks."

"What?"

"The situation was set up to reveal which of you . . . would set aside your individual interests . . . and propose to the others that you work together for the good of all. Instead of which . . . you sakura ignored naruto, who was right in front of you . . . while you focused your attention on sasuke, though you didn't know where he was. Naruto tried to do single handedly what should have been the work of all three! And sasuke had already decided that the other two just got in his way . . . and was better off going solo. You are a team! Learn to act as one! Yes, it's necessary for ninja to have individual skills but . . . what is even more important is teamwork! Making a play as an individual is bad for the team and exposes your comrades to unnecessary danger. You might as well kill them yourself. . . . Here's an example."

Kakashi pulled out a kunai and pushed it against sasuke's throat.

"Sakura! Kill naruto. Or sasuke dies."

The pink banshee freaked out, but she looked like she actually would have done it! Bitch!

"The day could come . . . when one of you may be taken hostage, and you're forced to make such a choice. When you are on a mission, your lives will always be on the line."

Kakashi got off sasuke and walked towards a block on stone and stood before it. Sasuke sat up not looking to pleased with being sat on. There goes my 'sasuke is gay' theory . . . for now . . .

"Look at this marker . . . and all the names carved in the stone. Heroes of our village. Ninja . . . who have died on the line of duty. This is a memorial. It includes the names of my best friends."

Kakashi stared at back at us with a stern look on his face. " . . . Pay attention . . . ! I'm giving you one last chance. One that will be far more difficult than our last little game with bells. If you're prepared to continue, you may eat one of the bento boxes. But no sharing with naruto. He goes hungry."

"Why?" sakura asked.

"He brought it on himself when he tried to take both of the bells, which would have left none for you guys. If either of you feeds him, you fail the test right there. My word is law. Do you understand?" kakashi said with gloom and doom in his voice before vanishing off to god only knows where.

I spent twenty minutes there trying to think of a way I could subtly get my teammates to feed me and pass this stupid underneath the underneath test. After a while I managed to get my stomach to growl which caught the attention of sasuke. He stared at me for a moment as though he was having an inner battle on whether or not to help me.

"Here" he said as he held out his lunch to me while looking at anything but me. The theory is back people.

The girl flipped for what had to be the fifth time that day. Maybe she's part dolphin or something. I wonder how iruka's cadaver's doing?

"Bu . . . But master kakashi told us-"

"I'm not worried. He's probably miles away by now. And we'll need our full strength if we're going to work together to get those bells. Naruto's no good to me if he's just going to be a liability."

The girl seemed to think over sasuke's words for a while, putting that big head of hers to more use than coming up with more ways to say sasuke's name in every sentence she says.

She looked at her bento box before shoving it in front of me as though it was an offering to appease me . . . That's not a bad idea, I should remember that for later after I've crushed this cesspool of leaf vermin.

Suddenly smoke filled the clearing as kakashi came back for his big finale.

"YOU!" he howled as he appeared like a demon from the smoke

Sasuke to my disappointment didn't scream but got ready for a fight, shame. The pinky however did what she was good at, and screamed like she was set on fire.

" . . . Pass!" kakashi said with a smile.

My teammates were yet again dumbfounded.

The pinky spoke up.

"We pass! But . . . why?"

"The three of you have just taken a giant step forward."

"Ummm . . . How?"

"Up until now, all any of you have ever done is listen to me unquestioningly to everything I say . . . like mindless, little drones."

Hey, I had figured it out first! Why is he including me with this rabble?

"A true shinobi seeks for the hidden meanings within hidden meanings. In a ninja's world, those who violate the rules and fail to follow orders . . . are lower than garbage. However . . . those who do not care for and support their fellows . . . are even lower than that!"

"Oh!"

Now they're getting it.

"This exercise is now concluded. You all pass! That's all for today, team seven. Your duties will commence tomorrow!"

"Finally! Now let me down!" I said to my relieved teammates.

"Lets go home" kakashi said as my so called team left me tied to the stump.

"Ignorant bastards!" I called after them as they left me hanging, literally.

How dare they! They left me! What was all that preaching about teamwork for if they just abandoned me! Fuck that! I only need myself! I never needed others! I was a fool when I was younger!

And then it happened. I don't know what it was but it happened. My right eye felt weird and my chest and arms felt empty, as though they were hollow. I fell from the stump and crashed into the ground head first, not expecting to slip off the stump.

"What the . . . hell?" I asked no one in particular as I looked back at the stump in confusion.

The ropes were still tied to the stump and yet I was free. It was as though I had fazed through them, becoming translucent to the degree that not only light but matter slipped though me.

"BITCH!" I howled when I felt a headache drop in for a visit.

But how could that be? I only ever got a headache when I used my right eye. Does that mean that my right was responsible for my escape? That would mean that somehow, through my thoughts of hatred and going solo it reacted and freed me. The ropes were not harmed and neither was I or the stump. So this reality wasn't damaged then maybe I wasn't in it when I escaped. Could it be that I slipped out of this reality and back?

I smiled evilly. Oh this is too good. The headache is worth it, to find out that my right eye has the ability to control whether or not matter exists in this realm of reality. I will have to experiment with it though, to find out the extent that its power go's and what it can effect.

Can I only pull myself out of reality when I use it or can I use it on others? If I continue to use this new ability then will it harm me or make me stronger? What are the visual aspects of the technique? Do I change colour, become clear, go blurry or is there no change in visual appearance at all? What are the costs of such a technique? Chakra, body energy, life force or is it for free?

I will discover all that there is to know about this new aspect of my right eye and use it to bring my life's ambitions to fruition earlier than planned. But I better do that at my little lab of horrors . . . after the headache fucks off that is.

* * *

A couple of weeks later I was standing in front of old man 3rd for squad seven's next mission assignment. So far we've done everything from weeding the front lawns of the academy to wiping windows in the market district. These were considered tasks that would give us the experience we need to become fine shinobi in the future.

I honestly don't see that happening. Unless by some freak turn of events the village is attacked by weeds with dirty windows I think what we're doing is a waste, though it does leave me with lots of spare time to research my right eye. But if we were to be attacked be an enemy that was intent to killing us I reckon that my teammates would be slaughtered. If we're to be shinobi we should be given missions that shinobis take, not chores that should be done by servants. I decided to voice my opinion to old man 3rd.

"Fuck off and go blow yourself! I demand that you give me something different to do, not all this kiddy crap. Something important that's a challenge!"

Kakashi and pinky both seemed to be shocked that I just said something that disrespectful to the leader of this village. Sasuke seemed to agree with me though and old man 3rd himself just stared at me as though I kicked his puppy in front of him, again.

"Apparently naruto, you are in need of an explanation as to how the leaf village works and distributes missions. You see, every day, our village receives many requests for everything from baby sitting to assassination. We take that tremendous variety and sort them into categories from A to D, based on the degree of skill they require. We have also divided the shinobi into classes based on the level of their skills. Those shinobi rankings from lowest to highest are gennin, chunnin, jonnin and hokage. After we of the upper echelon have sorted all the requests we distribute them to those of the ability deemed most appropriate. And if the ninja in question completes those duties successfully then the grateful person he has helped pays him a fee. Thus far, the three of you have only attained the lowest rank, level D tasks are the best you could aspire to."

I soaked up every word he said. If I know their system of funds and ranking it could be used to my advantage for when I turn on this pitiful excuse of a shinobi village.

"But how are we supposed to become stronger if we are not challenged?" I said eager to get my way and get at least C class mission.

"Yes I agree that experience is necessary for a shinobi, but it's useless to us unless it is tested by something that causes us to recall our experiences and use them to guide our intentions and reactions to events that happen in the future."

Old man 3rd smiled at me.

"Well . . . since you put it that way . . . I will permit you to attempt a C grade task, usually reserved for shinobi of the journeyman level . . . the protection of a certain individual . . . "

I smiled a genuine smile, probably my first in years. Maybe I won't kill old man 3rd, I mean I've always wanted a butler. I could rename him jeeves, or trent.

"Whose life are we in charge of?"

"Don't word it like that naruto, compose yourself. I'll perform the introductions straightaway. Please invite him in . . . "

Old man 3rd motioned towards a door we used to enter the room. We turned to look at our assignment. A drunken old man with a piece of rope tied around his head stumbled into the room.

"What's going on here? They look like a bunch of wet nosed brats. Especially . . . the midget. He's got the face of sadistic madman. It's a joke right? You kids aren't really ninja, are you?"

I looked around for this so called midget. He said brats so since he's older than us he must have referring to us. But sasuke and pinky have hairdos that make them look taller so that would mean . . . BASTARD!

"Die!" I howled as I threw a kunai at the ignorant drunk's head, only for it to be caught by kakashi as he gripped my shoulder to prevent me on going postal in front of the hokage.

"Naughty. No killing the old man you've been assigned to protect."

The old drunk looked spooked at the fact that he was almost killed by a twelve year old. Clearing his voice he introduced himself.

"I am tazuna, a bridge builder of ultimate renown . . . until I am safely back in my own country, where I'll be completing my next bridge, you'll all be expected to protect me . . . even if it costs you your lives."

The moment kakashi looks away I'm gonna put this old coot in a ditch with his throat slit.

Later that day, after I had gone to my lab and picked up a few . . . items that wished to try out I met my squad members and our charge at the konoha gates. I was estatic to be leaving the hell hole that ruined my childhood.

"All right! C'mon elizabeth, turn that frown upside down! We're going outside the village!" I taunted sasuke.

The old fart that I was planning on killing when I got the chance just stood there with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Am I really expected to place my life in the hands of this fool?"

The moment there's a ditch, I swear.

Kakashi sighed at my antics.

"There's no call for concern. I'm an elite ninja and I'll be along too . . . "

This old coot would have to be the worst client in history. I'm not gonna let him give me any crap.

"Listen, you old geezer! You don't ever wanna mess with shinobi! Especially one like me! Remember that sadistic comment? Well you old coot you got me right on the mark. I want to kill you and leave your mutilated corpse in the sun to rot. So stay out of my way and stick with elizabeth and you'll live to be an arse another day!"

The old man shivered and hid behind kakashi who was rereading 'A Tale Of Nihilism'. Maybe he's torturing himself so that when it comes to real life he can toughen the fuck up? And what's with the two shinobi sitting in the tree behind us? I can sense them, there chakra feels equivalent to a chunnin's. I guess it doesn't matter now, since they're fucking off to whatever hole in the wall the call home.

* * *

Later that day when we were walking down what had to be the most boring path in the history of dirt roads, pinky did what I thought I would have to train into her and spoke without the use of her vocal sonic jutsu.

"Um, Mr tazuna . . . ?"

The drunken sod stared at the girl and grunted.

"What now?"

"You come from the land of waves, right?"

"What of it?"

The pink one looked to kakashi with a blush adorning her face.

I wonder if its because she calls him _**Master**_ kakashi. Little BDSM suck up.

"Um . . . master kakashi . . . "

I knew it.

"Are there ninja in that country too?"

Of course there are! That's why this shit head came all the way here to get us. Cause its fun to get drunk and travel and even more fun to irritate someone while doing it.

"No. Not in the land of waves. But, as a general rule, even with all the differences that exist in local customs and cultures . . . Most other lands have their own hidden village where a ninja clan resides. There are five ninja villages that are considered the strongest. Konohagakure the village hidden in the leaves, Kirigakure the village hidden in the mist, Kumogakure the village hidden in the clouds, Sunagakure the village hidden in the sand and Iwagakure the village hidden among the stones. For most countries on this continent, the ninja villages serve as the military force. They protect their own people and handle the ongoing relations with neighboring countries. Yet, the villages do not answer to the rules of their native countries. Instead, they are equal footing with the government. In the case of very small island nations where an invasion would be difficult to mount, a ninja village is regarded unnecessary. Among the various ninja villages, in particular, those located in the lands of konoha, kiri, kumo, suna and iwa are large and their strengths are immense. Those are the five great lands of shinobi. They are also the only places where the shinobi leader calls himself a kage, or shadow . . . Those legendary

Leaders, Hokage or fire shadow and Mizukage or water shadow for example, plus Raikage, Kazekage and Tsuchikage are known to the ninja everywhere as the five shadows . . . The ultimate commanders of all the tens of thousands of shinobi throughout the world."

"Really? Lord hokage is _**so**_ amazing!"

"You obviously don't really think so. There's nothing to worry about. You wont face any duels with ninja from other clans while your handling C level duties."

"So I don't have to worry about encountering any foreign shinobi . . . ?"

Kakashi laughed as he patted pinky.

"Of course not! Ha ha ha!"

I noticed the drunken sod looked a bit down. Sasuke seemed to notice it to. I also noticed the two chakra signatures from before were up ahead, but all I saw was a puddle. As we walked past it, kakashi and I both stared at the puddle for a moment. Kakashi was content but I wasn't, I knew there was someone in that puddle, hiding. I smiled evilly. Since kakashi wasn't gonna do anything to these puddle play pals, I was.

"Gimme a sec, I gotta go" said with my back to the group as I faced the puddle.

"Naruto you're disgusting, at least go in the bushes."

"But I wanna go . . . right . . . here" I said as I pissed in the puddle. Let's see how our guests like to hide in piss.

The said puddle of piss exploded and two cloaked shinobi wearing masks jumped out.

Lame. Everyone has a mask but me.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" they howled.

"HOW DARE YOU PISS ON US! YOU'RE GOING DOWN LITTLE PIGGY"

They bum rushed me with a long jagged metal chain connecting ones right gauntlet to the others left gauntlet. I stood there waiting for them. When they reached me one of them jumped over me and flipped the chain, which looped around me and pinned me on the spot.

"One little piggy" they said as they were about to yanked the chain.

"Access denied" I said as I exploded, engulfing the road in black smoke.

I could hear the two enemy shinobi coughing.

"Bloody brat knew a jutsu to make clones explode."

"Yeah, but what's with the black smoke? I can't see a thing."

I uncovered my right eye, the smoke blocking kakashi and the rests view of me so it was ok to use my right eye. I smirked as I clearly saw two human shaped chakra sources with the smoke. It's time to play with my food. I stalked my pray in the smoke, keeping myself between them and the outside. The smoke will linger around and stay thick enough to keep visibility down to about a foot for about a minute. More than enough time.

"One . . . two . . . I'm coming for you . . . " I called out slowly through the blinding smoke.

"Three . . . four . . . dread my call . . . Five . . . six . . . I see through your tricks . . . Seven . . . eight . . . your life's at stake . . . Nine . . . ten . . . your never gonna live to see the sky again . . . "

The two shinobi wandered though the smoke, only knowing about their teammate's location and health because the chain held up between them. They couldn't see each other even though they were a meter apart. I shepherded them next to each other.

"Where the fucks the brat? I cant see a thing?" they swore at each other.

"I'm behind you, piss face."

They both span around with their claws poised to kill but where greeted with only more black smoke and a glaring red eye.

"What the?"

Kakashi was staring at the smoke, probably trying to decide if I needed back up.

"What hell is he doing in there?" the drunken old coot asked him.

"To be honest, I don't kn-"

Before kakashi could finish his reply, two tortured screams came from the black smoke. They screamed as though they were being torn apart piece by piece by a relentless beast who hungered for flesh. Pinky screamed as she covered her ears as she fell to the ground, sasuke froze and stared at space as though the screams were making him remember something he would have rather have forgotten, the old coot fell to the ground and shuffled back and kakashi looked alarmed and rushed towards the smoke.

"C'mon kakashi, gimme some credit. Did you honestly believe those were my screams? Hm?" I called from the black smoke as it started to clear.

Kakashi looked relieved when he saw me standing on the two completely whole and knocked out enemy shinobi. I had my right eye covered and a smirk on my face.

"They were as easy as getting elizabeth over their to glare at me."

I got a glare from sasuke for that. Kakashi sighed and turned to the old coot on the floor.

"Mr tazuna."

"Wha . . . What is it?"

"I need to speak to you . . . "

Kakashi tied the two ninja I knocked to a nearby tree. He stared at them and noticed the markings on their masks.

"Our attackers appeared to be journeymen level ninja of the Kirigakure clan, mist ninjas. They are shinobi renowned for their willingness to fight on until their goal is achieved, even at the cost of their own lives."

Willing to fight on until their goal is achieved, even at the cost of their own lives huh? Sounds like the perfect place to start an organization. Get me some minions, followers as such. Maybe I should pop in and say hello to the reigning Mizukage when I'm older?

"Obviously, they were watching and waiting for us. I noticed them and was going to wait and see what they would do but due to . . . naruto's unusual display earlier they revealed themselves earlier than expected. I could have killed them at any time . . . but . . . I want to find out . . . who their real target was."

The old coot started to look nervous . . . I think I can smell urine . . . no wait, that's the mist nin from earlier.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Were you really the one they were after? Or was it one of us ninja? There has been no word of any shinobi seeking to take your life. The request that was relayed to lord hokage was that you have an escort to protect you against any roving bands of thieves and brigands. In any case, it's clear this is more than a 'B' ranked mission. To protect you from ordinary dangers until you complete the bridge you're currently constructing . . . would be simple thing. But if you expected to be the target of a ninja assault . . . then it is beyond question that this would have to be classified and priced as a mission for elite ninja. You may have had you reasons, but it's never a good idea to conceal the facts when you're asking for help. As it is, this task falls far beyond the boundaries of the job we were assigned."

The pinky spoke up, "We're not good enough yet to handle something like this . . . can we quit?"

"Hmmm . . . This is . . . complicated. Do we go back now so we can report this error to the hokage . . . ?" kakashi asked himself.

" . . . Master . . . Mr sensei, sir . . . " the old coot said to kakashi.

Kakashi turned to the old coot with his eyebrow raised.

"I . . . have something I need to say . . . "

* * *

We were on a boat of a friend of the old coot's, traveling across the sea that was covered in a thick unmoving mist.

"Wow. This is some fog. I can barely see a thing" pinky chirped.

The boat driver looked at her before replying, "We'll be able to see the bridge in a minute. On the other side of it is nami no kuni, the land of waves."

Kakashi looked up, as did me and my squad as the bridge loomed into view. I whistled.

"That's a **big** fucken' bridge."

The boat driven hushed me as he turned the boots engine off.

"Hey! Keep it down! This mist'll keep us hidden. But from this point on, we have to turn off our engines and row. We'd be in big trouble if gato caught us!"

I stared at the bridge lost in thought about our situation. I wasn't really paying attention to the old coots babbling, but I did hear something about chocolate wanting the bridge stopped because of money flow. Or something. I dunno.

The boat driven spoke up again, "We'll be there soon! Tazuna . . . so far it looks like we've been overlooked . . . just to be on the safe side we'll take an inland waterway through town to point where we can make landfall under the cover of mangroves."

"Thank you."

The boat driver steered us under a bridge and into the open waters of nami no kuni's main town. It was a tarnished village of collapsing buildings that were little more than shacks. There were waterways randomly flowing in between houses and a large central lake in the middle of town that had a forest of mangroves. The boat driver guided the boat through the floating forest and dropped us off at a wharf.

The boat driver looked at the old drunken coot apologetically.

"This is as far as I go. Take care of yourself."

The old coot turned around as we walked off what I assume they call a boat. That is **if** you can call something that looked like it was built from front doors a boat that is.

"Thanks . . . for taking such a risk. I shouldn't have asked."

The boat driver started up the motor and speed off down the river. The old coot turned to kakashi as we set off.

"Ok! Now, if I can just make it home in one piece . . . l"

"Yeah, yeah."

Kakashi looked a bit down. Probably because this mission reeks of trouble. There's bound to be another attack, and next time they wont send chunnin. I'll probably get to test myself against a jonnin, a rogue one at that! I can kill him and kakashi will probably just say 'Oh, that was unnecessary naruto. You didn't need to kill him'. Oh I cant wai-

My senses went nuts as I span around and threw a shuriken at a at a nearby bush. Everyone was shocked by sudden attack on islands foliage.

"Get over it" I said in a harsh tone as I approached the bush. "We're shinobi, you know. The people who are suppose to be alert at all times? See all things, hmm?"

I reached in and pulled out my target. I grinned as I heard the pink banshee gasp. I held up my kill and showed it to the group like a trophy.

"It's wabbit season" I smirked as I held up the corpse of a snow white hare with a shuriken lodged into its head.

Sasuke simply stared at the dead mammal while the old coot and the pink banshee tagged teamed on me and used every word their little two watt brains could think of that was connected to the word disgusting to describe their current thoughts and feeling on my treatment towards those who are small and fluffy. I looked at kakashi and he nodded. We both new what this meant. The enemy was nearby, in a tree behind us if I'm correct. And judging by the amount of chakra I'm sensing. This is a big fish. Lucky me. The scum of a the village I'm from has little fish for sale. Time to broaden my diet to new flavours. Me and kakashi both reacted the sudden movement of the hidden shinobi.

"Everyone take cover!" kakashi shouted as a giant sword launched out of the bushes and span around like a buzz saw , cleaving all that got in the way which unfortunately, no one did.

We looked up at the owner of the blade that was lodged in a tree. The owner stood on the handle with his back to us, looking over his shoulder at us. He looked like a man in his late twenty's, wearing horizontally stripped pajamas with blue, gray and black cameo leg warmers. He also wore another pair from his elbows to his wrists, a pair of open sandals, a mask made of bandages that covered the lower half of his face and a piece of leather with metal pads wrapped around his neck and attaching to his pants. He also had short messy black hair, no eyebrows and wore his forehead protector at an angle on his head, the metal plate facing the sky.

I stared at him. Why does he have no shirt on and yet he has leg warmers on over his forearms and legs? Is he afraid that his arms and legs will get cold and fall off but doesn't give a shit about his torso or was it just a wardrobe malfunction?

Kakashi broke into my thoughts.

"Well, well . . . if it isn't momochi zabuza, the kid who ran off and left the land of mists!"

I stared at the browless wonder for a moment, sizing him up before I rushed forward. Kakashi put his hand in front of me and spoke, eyes never . . . eye never leaving the enemy.

"Hang on naruto, don't interfere. I know you are always eager to test yourself but give me some room. This one is on a different plane from our previous opponents."

I glared at kakashi.

"I know. That's why I wanna fight him. I've got this knew jutsu I've been dieing to try out on a living target that can fight back."

"You are eager to seek powerful opponents and learn new ninjutsu, yes?"

I stared at him for a moment before I smiled as I realised at what he was trying to tell me. Sit back, relax and enjoy your front row seat to a battle of the elite. I grinned with glee at the idea of seeing high level jutsu and techniques that I haven't seen before, I'll have to hide in a tree and watch it all with my right eye if I want to catch every detail.

Kakashi reached up for his forehead protector and began to lift it up from his left eye.

" . . . Like this . . . this may be a little rough."

Huh? What the fuck was that meant to mean? I was about to ask kakashi if he had been smoking some bad weed when zabuza spoke up.

"Kakashi of the sharingan eye, I presume? If it wouldn't be much trouble . . . could you surrender the old man?"

I looked from zabuza to kakashi to zabuza again. Sharingan? Why does that sound familiar? It's as though it is the name of an old friend I cant remember. It's just on the tip of my tongue. I looked at the rest of the group behind us to see if there 'less than picture perfect' faces could spark something in my thought process. The girl and old man looked confused but sasuke looked like he had seen a ghost and was doing a double take.

Kakashi spoke to us as he stared down his foe.

"Assume the manji battle formation! Protect Mr tazuna . . . All of you, stay out of the fight. That means you naruto, this is the kind of teamwork I've had you guys practice these past couple of weeks. And this situation demands just that. And now . . . zabuza . . . "

I gasped as kakashi finally lifted the forehead protector and revealed his left eye. It was exactly the same as my right eye. The iris bathed in glorious blood, three black commas chasing each others tails around the pupil. It was the same. Zabuza called kakashi 'kakashi of the sharingan' and considering that he keeps his left eye covered then that must mean that his left eye is the sharingan. So using logic, that must mean that my right eye is also a sharingan. When I get the chance I've got to find out more on the sharingan. Its history, owners, powers, origins etc. I will know it all!

I growled as a revelation came to me. I thought that I was the only one in that pitiful excuse of a village that had an eye like mine. If kakashi has one, how many more have them? Are there any with two? Would that be double the headaches or half? God kill the poor bastard that has two and suffers twice the amount of headaches, that's a fate worse than death. Well . . . maybe two pink banshees for teammates would be worse.

Zabuza seemed pleased that kakashi had revealed his sharingan.

"Ahh . . .to face the legendary mirror-wheel eye so early in our acquaintance . . . this **is** an honor . . . "

The girl seemed confused about what the sharingan was.

"Ah . . . master kakashi . . . ? W-what's the sharingan?"

Sasuke spoke up when kakashi gave no reply.

"Shinobi who have the sharingan eye . . . have mastered a form of ocular ninjutsu. It enables them to penetrate and see the reality behind any illusion or spell . . . and to reflect the power of the magic they penetrate back on those who cast them! A mirror-wheel eye, or sharingan eye is one of several types used by the masters . . . "

Penetrate any illusion, huh? Thanks for the for that bit of info, sasuke. I've seen through genjutsus before with my right eye but they were my genjutsus so I already knew that there was an illusion, which kinda defeats the purpose of an illusion if you know whats really there.

"And there's more . . . "

More? How could sasuke know so much about such a powerful ability? Does he have one? If he does then why hasn't he flaunted it?

Zabuza began to laugh.

"Heh-heh . . . exactly. There is indeed more. Most formidable of all is the acuity to which the sharingan . . . can discern and then duplicate its opponent's greatest skill. When I was an assassin for the kirigakure . . . I possessed the usual bingo book, a kind of who's who of our enemies. It had quite the extensive write-up on you . . . including a mention of your impressive record . . . the man who had penetrated and copied over a thousand different techniques . . . kakashi the mirror ninja. . . . Enough. Pleasant as this conversation has been . . . the time for talk is over. I'm on a very tight schedule to polish off the old man."

The stupid old coot gasped as though he had just realised that the shirtless assassin standing on top of a huge fucking sword looking at him with blood lust isn't the sort of guy to skip around and ask for him not to build the bridge. He's gonna cut of the drunk's head and play with his organs. The girl and sasuke rushed to take their positions of the manji formation around zabuza. I darted off into the trees, eager to watch the whole fight with my right eye. The pink girl screamed after me as I darted into the foliage above.

"Naruto you jerk! What the hell are you doing!"

Zabuza stared at the spot I had disappeared into the trees before returning his attention to kakashi.

"But . . . kakashi . . . it looks like . . . I'm going to have to kill you first."

I sat high up in a tree above a masked nin that was watching the fight. I didn't want to miss a single second of this fight so I'll kill the foreign shinobi later. So I uncovered my right eye up and focused on the two tensed jonnin.

Zabuza grabbed the handle of his huge fucking sword and kicked off the tree his foot, dislodging the sword and sending him soaring away from his high perch with his weapon. He land on the surface of a nearby lake and placed the sword on his back. It just hanged there as though it was magnetized to the little metal pad he had on his back. He flashed through some handsigns, all of which I saw and stored away in my memory bank for later use. The water around him began to stir as though an unseen force was agitating the water. Mist began to rise up from the lake and it slowly blanketed the land around us. I used my right eye to see through the mist and could just see zabuza's chakra. If it was any thicker the mist would masked his chakra since it is already jam packed full of the stuff. I heard his voice eerily echoing through the clearing around us as the mist slowly creeped in.

"The finest of the shinobi arts . . . the kirigakure jutsu."

He faded from sight as the mist continued to creep in.

"He's gone!" the old fart shouted, using what little brain power he had left from breathing and being an arse to point out the obvious.

Kakashi stared at the spot zabuza vanished from for a moment before explaining what he thought would happen.

"He will come after me first . . . momochi zabuza . . . of the kirigakure assassin corps . . . is a famous master of the art of silent killing. Letting your guard down around him buys you a direct trip to heaven. I haven't necessarily mastered every aspect of the sharingan eye . . . so all of you stay on your toes . . . that includes you naruto, don't get yourself killed. The big boys are playing right now, so join your squadmates in the manji formation as soon as possible.

I grinned as I heard zabuza's voice echo through out the mist that surrounded my so called 'squad'. I could see where he was but I doubt that sasuke and the girl could see more than a few meters at the most. His voice was beautiful, full of malice, hanging threats and blood lust. I wish he was our sensei.

"_**There are eight targets."**_

The girl freaked out and looked around in vain.

"What? Wha . . . what was that!"

"_**Throat, spinal column, lungs, liver, the jugular vein, the subclavian artery. Heart, kidney. . . . So many choices. What vital, vulnerable place shall I choose? Heh-heh."**_

Me and kakashi watched as zabuza ran through some more handsigns, kakashi mimicked them while I just watched and remembered them for later use. Sasuke began to sweat, what a pussy. I few words with a spooky voice effect and he turns to jelly. I mustn't have been the only one to notice sasuke's current emotional status because kakashi spook up to calm him down.

"Sasuke."

Hmm. Kakashi used his conversation to draw attention away from the fact that he just switched places with the water clone he just created. I wonder what he's up to?

"Calm down. Even if he gets me, I'll still protect you. I will . . . never let my comrades die!"

"_**I wouldn't bet on that . . . "**_

I chuckled as I heard zabuza's reply as he revealed himself to be standing amongst the groups manji formation.

"Game over."

Kakashi span around and rushed zabuza as he brought up his huge fucking sword to cleave off the old coots head. I will admit that I was surprised that kakashi could move that fast, zabuza and I underestimated him. Kakashi tackled zabuza and in the process stabbed him in the kidney with a kunai before he could do any harm to our client. Zabuza wound began to leak water as another zabuza loomed out of the mist behind kakashi. He lifted his blade to decapitate kakashi and succeeded. A pity it was just a water clone. The real kakashi appeared behind zabuza and held a kunai against his throat.

"Don't move . . . Game over."

The girl began to congratulate kakashi on his capture but was interrupted by zabuza's laughing.

" . . . Heh-heh-heh . . . Heh . . . You think this is over? You just don't get it . . . It will take more to defeat me than mimicking me like an ape . . . a lot more. Heh-heh . . . But you are good! In that short time . . . you duplicated my water clone technique . . . And by making your clone say something you'd have said yourself . . . You ensured all my attention would be focused on it . . .While you yourself used the kirigakure technique of hiding in the mist, watching my every move! Too bad for you . . . "

The real zabuza appeared behind kakashi and growled, "I'm not that easy to fool!"

He began to swing his sword around in a arc, intending to take kakashi's life.

The girl screamed, "Zabuza was a water clone too!"

Kakashi ducked as zabuza's sword missed him by inches as it cleaved the air above him. Zabuza continued the arc and dug the sword into the ground, using the momentum he had gained from his previous attack, he span around on the spot and kicked kakashi in the chest before he could react. Kakashi flew through the clearing and dropped some caltrops on the ground as he soared over and into the nearby lake. Zabuza grabbed his sword and rushed towards the downed jonnin but stopped just short of the caltrops.

"Foolishness!" he shouted as he ran threw some handsigns and water body flickered shortly after with his sword on his back behind kakashi, who had just resurfaced from the water.

Kakashi seemed to stare at the water for a moment as did I. The water was full of chakra, zabuza must have prepared it earlier.

"Hah! Gullible fool!" zabuza laughed as he flashed through some more handsigns.

That makes four new jutsus for me. Kakashi looked alarmed as the water around him wrapped around him and formed a sphere of water, which zabuza had his hand in.

"Heh-heh-heh . . . That prison is inescapable. You're trapped. You running around free makes it too hard for me to do my job. I'll finish you later . . . " zabuza said as he brought his free hand up did a handsign.

" . . . After I've dealt with the others . . . " A water clone rose from the water in the shape of zabuza and walked across the lake and onto the land. The water clone began to laugh as he approached my squadmates.

"Heh-heh-heh . . . Little ninja wannabe. Trying so hard to fit in, you even wear a hitai-ate headband. But a true ninja is one who has crossed and recrossed the barrier between the lands of the living and the dead. Clothes don't make a shinobi. You need skill good enough to rate a listing in my bingo book of enemies . . . Before you deserve to be called ninja. We don't call your kind 'ninja'. We call them . . . "

"Brats" the real zabuza said, still holding kakashi captive.

Kakashi began to issue out orders.

"Everyone listen! Take tazuna and go! It's a fight you can't win! If he wants to hold me in this water prison, he cant leave this place. If his water clone gets more than a certain distance away from his real body he loses control of it. So get out of here!"

"Is that a challenge?" I shout as I dropped into the clearing after covering my right eye.

Damn, I can feel a headache coming. A weak one but a headache none the less.

I smirked at the water clone as he seized me up.

"No! Stop you fool!" kakashi pleaded from his watery prison.

"Why? I just wanna have fun" I said as I winked at my enemy.

Zabuza's water clone glared at me.

"Heh-heh . . . You're very sure of yourself. But . . . Do you really think you stand a chance against me?

Kakashi pleaded with me again.

"What's the matter with you? I told you to run. It's over . . .it was over the second he caught me! You have to do your duty. Keep that in mind. We're here to protect Mr tazuna!"

I laughed, "You really think he wants to spend more time with me? I'm yet to repay him for that smart arse comment earlier at the mission assignings, I think he'd prefer it if I was as far away as possible as I could be from him. So I'm gonna play with wonder brow here for a while."

"Heh . . . "

Zabuza's water clone began to laugh.

"Heh heh heh heh . . . Apparently you don't care whether you live to be any older! Playing at being ninja like it's a child's game . . . I, however. By the time I was your age . . . had already dyed these hands of mine in my enemies blood . . . "

Kakashi glared at zabuza.

"The demon . . . zabuza!"

"It would seem my reputation has exceeded me" the original zabuza said proudly.

"Long ago . . . In the village hidden in the mist, also known as 'The village of the bloody mist' . . . The final step toward becoming a full-fledged ninja was the most in-humanly difficult test imaginable."

"So . . . You've heard about our little graduation exercise."

"Graduation exercise?" I asked, curious about the village that I planned to visit.

" . . . Heh heh heh."

"Quit cackling and give me a fucking answer you eyebrowless fuckwit!"

Both zabuzas glared at me, I could feel their killer intent wrapping around me. It felt like a warm blanket to me.

"It's a kind of 'killing spree' . . . among classmates."

"Where do I sign up?" I said looking at sasuke with an evil grin.

"Heh . . . You ain't that bad brat . . . pity I'm going to kill you . . . "

"Like to see you try."

"That can be arranged . . . " zabuza's water clone said as he reached for his huge fucking sword.

Kakashi shouted at me from his little sphere of owned.

"No, Naruto! You don't understand! The students who'd been friends, eating from the same dish, as undergrads were divided into pairs who were forced to fight against each other . . . to the death! Think of it. Comrades who had trained together, lived together, shared each other's every hope and dream . . . "

The girl gasped, " . . . That's terrible."

"Ten years ago, the elders of the village hidden in the mist . . . were forced to enact a sweeping reform of their barbaric graduation ritual . . . because of the appearance, during the previous year . . . of a human fiend who made reform essential."

"What kind of reform? . . . What are you talking about? What did the fiend you're talking about do?"

"Without a moments hesitation . . . without any hint of a qualm . . . a boy who hadn't even qualified yet as a ninja . . . butchered over a hundred members of that years graduating class."

Cool, that sounds like a dream come true for me. Killing all those ignorant imbeciles who harassed me when I was weak. I'm getting giddy just thinking about it.

Bandage face was using the same 'you don't see my face but you know I'm smiling' technique as kakashi at me.

"Ah . . . yes. I see you share my glee, brat. Those were some good times . . . I used to have so much fun."

He glared at me and sasuke before attacking. Sasuke took a knee to the stomach, sending him flying across the clearing before zabuza slammed him into the ground in a way that you'd expect "KO!" to suddenly echo out of no where. I'm glad to see that sasuke's training is coming along nicely.

"Gaaah!"

Gaaah? Did he just cry 'gaaahh'? LAME!

"Oi, elizabeth! If you don't want to die, here's a tip that you should take to heart. You see the trick to surviving is to _**avoid**_the killing blows. It works every time, I promise" I taunted as I admired zabuza's swift brutality.

Zabuza's a top level missing jonnin from the village hidden in the mist. I'm yet to see what he's fully capable of so I better test him with some doppelgangers. Then I'll formulate a plan on the intel I've gathered, execute my plan and then execute zabuza. Sweet, I'm gonna go against a jonnin. All right then, lets get started.

I flashed through the handsigns I saw zabuza and kakashi use earlier and created ten water clones. My clones lept off the lake they spawned from and surrounded zabuza.

Zabuza looked around at my clones while reaching for his oversized butchers knife.

"So . . . water doppelgangers, eh? And quite a lot of them . . . "

All of my doppelgangers pulled out a kunai and got into their fight stances.

A twisted smile crept onto my face. "Sic em boys."

My clones ran at him two at a time, to test the range of skills they could with the amount of chakra I had gave them. Nothing too complicated, just the basics. What would he do if his target jumped just out of reach of his sword when he swung it, how would he react to be attacked by groups, how would he defend himself from a ranged attack, what's his fighting style like compared to mine and so on and so forth.

My clones were defeated in minutes. This annoyed me that my clones were defeated so easily, but considering that they're copies of the original they probably realise that if they 'die', the fight's not over. So they're enjoying every second of their little game of 'I don't care if I die so I'm gonna have some fun with this situation'. Heck, I'd do it but being the original, I must soldier on.

I looked at sasuke, who had the brains to get out of there while he could. He looked pretty beat up. Probably too tired to be of any use.

"Elizabeth . . . " I called out with a grin forming on my face. "Watch. And. Learn."


End file.
